Lands Department to look into Ra concerns

The Lands Department will look into the matter regarding the status of a land where the old National Fire Authority (NFA) building in Rakiraki Town is located.

This follows concerns raised by the

mataqali (clan) Naduwai, Cokova in Ra during a talanoa session with Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and several Cabinet Ministers.

Mataqali spokesperson Taniela Boleiligana said the building sat on the land belonging to the council and the building belonged to the mataqali.

The quarter-acre land lease belongs to the Lands Department, who had subleased it to the Rakiraki Town Council in 2017. He said there was an agreement between the last provisional administrator and NFA that when the new NFA building was constructed the building would be given to the mataqali.

Following the talanoa session, Minister for Local Government, Premila Kumar, had arranged to meet the landowners and their lawyer.

It was agreed that the landowners and the council would look into changing the lease so that the mataqali could get back the land through a Lands Department sub lease.